What is the desired texture for soda bread dough?

My dough is always so sticky, I can barely knead it (i.e. there is so much stuff stuck to my fingers that I tend to lose patience...). Should I add more flour?
The result is a good, bud dense bread. Not great yet...

Aime.See
  • Posted by: Aime.See
  • February 16, 2012
  • 20405 views
  • 3 Comments

3 Comments

mrslarkin
mrslarkin February 17, 2012
Here's Merrill's recipe for soda bread. Click on the slideshow link and you can see the exact texture of the dough. it doesn't look sticky at all. It's great - I've made it a few times.

http://food52.com/recipes/8417_irish_brown_soda_bread
 
susan G.
susan G. February 17, 2012
If this is a soda bread, I believe you should be stirring, not kneading -- treating it like a muffin, not a yeast bread. Then you can let the mixer or stirrer get sticky, and not your hands.
 
Mr_Vittles
Mr_Vittles February 16, 2012
Soda bread is traditionally, a dense loaf, of relatively flavorless bread. I like it, my friend's grandmother made her grandmother's when I would go to his house, and it always was a hit. So I think you're doing things right. If you desire a lighter crumb (texture) try using cake or pastry flour as it contains less protein, thus yielding less gluten, this yielding a lighter crumb.
 
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